Duplicate-whist scoring device.



Pratented Sept. I7, |901.

Y No. 682,912.

G. L. CASTNER, DUPLICATE WHIST SCORING DEVICE.

(Lppliedon Mod .Ys-n. 23, 1900.)

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W/T'NESSES vn 'una nun om mom-umn.. v/Mnnrou. n, c.

UNITED STATES GEORGE LEWIS CASTNER, OF CLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

DU PLlCATE-WHl-ST SCQRlN-G'DEVIQE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 682,912, dated September 17, 1901.

Application filed January 23, 1900. Serial No. 2,471. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE LEWIS GAST- NER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clarksville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Duplicate-Vhist Scoring Devi'ce, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is designed especially to take the place of other methods of scorin g the game of duplicate whist, and has for its object not only to obtain a degree of practically perfect accuracy offered by no other method now in use, but also to shorten the operation of keeping a record or score as compared with other methods.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which, while particularly ladapted for scoring in the game of duplicate whist,

may be varied in construction without altering the principles to score other games and for similar purposes of keeping count.

The invention consists in the lnovel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a receiver l for the score slip or card illustrated in Fig. 2.

' other or entirely across the sli p.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the score slip or card adapted to be used in connection with the receiver shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the receiver, sundry of its covvers' being raised to expose the score-slip.

The score-slip A is made of any suitable material, paper being preferablyemployed, and the said slip is divided into sixteen spaces, the spaces being defined by lines of perforaltions b extending from one side edge to the In this manner two end spaces l0 are provided and fourteen intermediate spaces 11. The sin gle spaces vat each end of the slip are not absolutely essential, beingdesigned for use in sett-ing out more prominently the respective ends from which the opposing sides will score, and thus 5o reduce' the chances of placing the slip i-n the wrong way in the receiver B, to be hereinafter described, and for thatpurpose one'end space 10 is initialed N S and the other end space E W. The danger of misplacing the slip, however, may be avoided in other waysas, for example, if the slip be wrongly placedl in the receiver the fact will be immediately disclosed as soon as the lids or covers belonging to the receiver are manipulated to dis, close the slip, since the letters and figures to be hereinafter explained and which are produced on the slip'would all then Aappear upside down, and the necessity for the correction would at once be made apparent, as all the lettering 'and numerals on the slipread in the same vertical direction.4

The end V,

spaces 10 are also intended to have placed i thereon (as perhaps. answering this purpose -more conveniently than any of the otherv spaces would) the number corresponding to the number of the tray holding the cards the play of which is scored bythe slip. In

this way the shp corresponding to each tray may be readily identified at any time thereafter. The remaining fo-urteen spaces 11 are those designed for actually scoring the play?.

Each of these spaces 11 is divided by a longi'-V tudinal linea2 into-two divisions a and a", the division being so made as to present in each space 11 two sets of figures, (designated as asand a* and d5 and a2) the figures at each of the side edges of thevslip comprising the first of these sets and the figures adjacentto the center line a2 comprising the other or the second` set. These spaces are also initialed to show to which players the figures printed on the same halt or division of the space refer, the upper half or division of` each space 11 being initialed E W and referring to the score of the east and west players, and the lower divisions of the intermediate spaces 11 are initialed N S, referring to the scorev of the north and south players. The first set ot these figures is intended to show during the play and at its conclusion the individual score o f the respective sides,while the second set is intended to show at the conclusion of the play the total score of each side. For

IOS

fourteenth space is only perfunctory in its natureand may be om'ittedj, as it really serves no special service in counting, since all of the thirteen tricks it is possible to' make have already been provided for in the first thirteen spaces numbered. Beginning then again with the first score-space on the left of the slip, the various spaces are numbered con- .'secutively from left to right, beginning with the character O on the first space and ending with the numeral 13 on the fourteenth space, these numbers being at each side`of the line a2, dividing the spaces 11 into sections, as has been stated. It will be observed i that these latter numerals (designated as a? and a) are always just one less than the individual-score number a4 or o.6 in the vsame division of the same space. The lower di' visions of the spaces 11 are filled out in the samevinanuer as the ordinary divisions of the i spaces, except in the reverse direction, the numbering beginning at th'e right and running then consecutively to the l'eft, and except that the lower divisions of the spaces 11 are initialed N S instead of E W. The score-slip may be used by simply tearing off the different scoresp'aces as the scores are made, but usually and 4preferably the score-slip A is used in connection with a receiver B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This receiver consists of a' body, preferably in the t form of a block havinga longitudinal recess i 12 made in its upper l'acez of suicientdirnen- .sions to receive a score slip or card A. This recess is normally concealed, and likewise the card placed therein, by means of lids or covi ers 13, correspoudingin number' to the nu u1- f ber of the intermediate spaces 1l, the end f spaces 10 extending beyond the outer edges .40

of the end covers 'or lids,`whereby the said 1 end spaces are at all times visible. These covers or lids 13 are usually hinged upon a.

` rod 14, which is placed longitudinally of the upper face of the block or bodyA of the re- 1 ceiver and is secured thereto by suitable brackets 15. Preferably the lids or coversv 13 are of such a length that their free ends extend beyond the front side Yof the body of the receiver, enabling anytone of the said covers or lids to be conveniently raised. I desire it to be understood, however, that the said lids or covers may be mounted to slide over the spaces in which the score-slip is placed, if in practice such construction is deemed advisable.

The operation of scoring a gaine is as follows: The scoring-slip A is placed in the recess 12 of the receiver B. under the folding lids or covers 13, soA that each .0E the spaces 11 in the slip will be covered by a lid or cover 13 belonging to the receiver. The fourteen score-spaces 11 of the score-slip will thus be entirely covered and out of view. The first trick taken by the east and we st'pla'yers is scored by simply lifting and leaving `up the first lid or cover 13 at the left-hand end of the receiver. This leaves the rst space at the left end of the slip A in plain View, and it shows on the individual scoreline E W l and indicates that this sidehas taken one trick. Further tricks taken by these players will be scored in the same manner by lifting other lids or covers 13 consecutively ranging toward the right, the totallids thus lifted corresponding to the total tricks taken by this side. 'lhe score of the north and south players is counted -in the saine way, but beginning at the right and proceeding consecutively toward the left. As a total of fourteen spaces is provided for the scoring while there are only thirteen .tricks to be scored, it follows that the score of the two sides starting from opposite ends can never meet in any one space, and, further, that at the conclusion of the play there will be one space 11 left unused by either side and still covered by a lid 13 of the receiver B, this space being immediately between the last score-space counted in the individual score of each side. lVhen the lid is lifted from over `this space also, the figure next to the center of the same will show an accurate record of the total score of each side and conform exactly to the individual scores shown on the last spaces previously uncovered. For exam ple, assuming that at thc conclusion of the play E W have taken six tricks, then N S -must have taken just seven tricks to complete the total of the possible thirteen tricks. The space still hiddenby a 'lidor cover 13 would be the spacevmarked in the upper' division E W 7, the numeral 6 appearing at the upper side of the dividing-line a2, and the lower-division of the space .would be provided with the numeral 7 below the dividing-line a2, and the letters and numeral N S 8A below the numeral 7. Therefore when this space is uncovered it will show by the figures at each side of the center or division line that E W and N S have respectively taken the six and seven tricks named above. At the conclusion of the play, therefore, it isA designed that the completion of the scoring shall be as follows: While the last unlifted, lid or cover 13 is still down, the score-slip is torn completely apart at the points of intersection of this covered space and-the spaces on each side of and immediately adjoining it, The score-slip will then be in three separate parts. The part torn from the left side of the covered section g of the slip will be given to the EW players to hold as the record'of their individual score of this hand, and therefore as their check against the final score of the game.

` For the same purpose the portion of the slip torn from the right-hand side of the covered section will be given to the N S players. The lid or cover 13 is then lifted from the remainin g space or section 11, which now stands alone, and disregarding other figures thereon save those of the second set located at each side .of the dividing line a2 we have a third record ofthe play, or one which gives the total IIO score of each side. This may for the purpose of identification be marked with a number corresponding to the number of the tray holding the cards of whose play it gives the score and will then be deposited in any agreed place pending the comparison with the duplicate play of the same cards or of any other reference desired.

It will be understood that other rules may be followed inthe use of the improved scoreslip and that without departing from the principles above set forth the said-score-slip may be adapted for use in other games where a record of the score is to be indicated.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A game score-card having two corresponding rows of consecutively-numbered figures, evenly spaced and running in opposite directions, each row beginning with zero and ending with the number corresponding to the total points of the gaine to be scored, and two additional rows of consecutivelynumbered figures correspondingly spaced and running in opposite directions, each row beginning with the ligure l and ending with a ligure one number higher than the total points of the game to be scored.

2. A gaine-counter having a series of lids or covers whose number is equal to the number of points of the game to be scored, plus one, and a score-card adapted to be placed beneath the lids or covers and having two corresponding rows of consecutively-numbered figures evenly spaced and running in opposite directions each row beginning with zero and ending with the number corresponding to the total points of the game to be scored, the said lids or covers being arranged opposite the corresponding iigures of the scorecard, for the purpose set forth.

3. A game-counter having a series of lids or covers whose number is equal to the number of points of the game to be scored plus one, anda score-card adapted to be placed beneath the lids or covers and having two corresponding rows of consecutively-numbered figures evenly spaced and running in opposite directions, each row beginning with zero and ending with the number corresponding to the total points of the game to be scored,

and two additional rows of consecutivelynumbered figures correspondingly spaced and running in opposite directions, each of the latter rows beginning with the figure 1 and ending with a figure one number higher than the total points of the game to be scored, the said lids or covers being arranged correspondingly to the said figures, and each adapted to cover a figure in each of said rows.

4. A game-counter having a series of .lids or covers whose number is equal to the number of points of the game to be scored plus one, and a series of spaces for scoring each point, the total of such spaces being also equal to the total number of points to be scored plus one, the said spaces being provided with two rows of consecutively-numbered Iigures, one figure of each row for each space, the rows of figures running in opposite directions, each row beginning with zero and ending with the number corresponding to the total points of the game to be scored, and two additional rows of consecutively-numbered figures running in opposite directions, one figure of each row in each of said spaces, each row beginning with the ligure l and ending with a figure or figures one number higher than the total points of the game to be scored, the said lids or covers being arranged opposite the corresponding spaces and each adapted to cover the figures in the corresponding space for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE LEWIS CASTNER.

Witnesses:

MATT GRACEY, LOUIS CLIFTON. 

